Abby Reviews Mallory Knox, JUDAS and Lacey

A few hours before the last show of the Mallory Knox headline tour, I joined JUDAS, a four-piece indie rock band fronted by Liverpudlian John Clancy with Todd Blackmore on guitar, Sam Horvath on drums and James Phillips on bass. The group had arrived early in Nottingham so were able to relax before the show and reminisce about their time on tour as well as discuss what they were looking forward to most about their own headline tour which starts next week. It hasn’t been a glamourous tour to say the least, with many nights spent in cold rooms with tiny beds, or couch surfing, but Todd said that it was “definitely an experience”

Their highlight of the tour was the Glasgow show at King Tuts as John said, “the energy was amazing”. The band are all most excited to play the Isle of Wight Festival towards the end of June and said they will be treating it as a “holiday on top of a holiday”, as they enjoy performing so much but will get the chance to go and watch other talented performers. As well as the Isle of Wight festival, JUDAS have more exciting plans for summer and leading on to the rest of the year including the release of a new single “Wonderland” in three weeks and heading on to record an album, with the end goal of “world domination” according to Todd.

JUDAS were in luck for their last show (more so than Dead! who had to withdraw due to “illness”) as they were promoted to lead support act at an already sold out show at The Bodega, but this still meant a rushed and stressful soundcheck before the doors opened. As a last-minute opener, Nottingham band Lacey offered to step in, and their alternative rock sound fitted in perfectly to the show. Even though bassist Graham ‘Graz’ Turner admitted that they hadn’t performed for a while, you couldn’t tell. He also mentioned a massive rebrand coming later this year, so watch out for bigger and better things to come.

JUDAS took the stage next and blasted out their hits such as “Some People” and “Big Mouth” which was released just last month as something new and a bit different to their usual sound. The crowd loved every minute of their performance and “Wonderland” was apparently Mallory Knox’s favourite song of their set.

Finally, it was Mallory Knox’s last time to perform on their headline tour and they did not disappoint. Some fans had been queuing three hours before entering the venue and the show was worth the wait. The set was electric and included “Sugar” and “Shout at the moon”, and the fact that the band had undergone a reshuffle just a couple of months before was soon forgotten as the now four-piece Mallory Knox seemed a natural combination.

With the April tour finished, JUDAS and Mallory Knox have a short break before getting back to performing. Hopefully next time either band return to Nottingham, they will be playing a bigger venue so that more people can enjoy their brilliant music.